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2016 Lincoln MKC

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
4
of 5 stars
Recalls
5
on record
MPG
combined

Open recalls on record

5 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Lincoln MKC

5 recalls
77 complaints
4/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 5 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 1 complaint reporting a crash
Review the 77 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
5
Owner complaints
77
Complaints citing a crash
1

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

5 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 16V183000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles manufactured November 25, 2013, to January 25, 2016, and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured October 20, 2014, to January 28, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with 2.3L GTDI engines and engine block heaters. These engine block heaters have elements that may overheat while plugged in.

    Consequence

    Overheating of the engine block increase the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and replace the electrical cord, as necessary. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S14. Note: Owners should not use the engine block heater until the vehicle has been remedied.

    Full campaign record
  • 23V378000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC vehicles. The battery monitor sensor may short-circuit and overheat, causing a fire in the engine compartment while parked or driving.

    Consequence

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will add an in-line fuse to the battery monitor sensor power circuit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S28.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V572000high

    Rear-visibility system issue

    BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

    Consequence

    A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V685000high

    Engine issue

    EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

    Consequence

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.

    Full campaign record
  • 26V011000high

    Engine issue

    EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

    Consequence

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Lincoln MKC.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    16.9%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2016 Lincoln MKC 4 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 16.9% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2016 Lincoln MKC Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2016 Lincoln MKC Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2016 Lincoln MKC Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.

The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.

Consumer complaints

77 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

77
Total
1
Crashes
7
Fires
1
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE50
  • OTHER11
  • ELECTRICAL4
  • STEERING3
  • BRAKES2

Notable Issues

77 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries. 1 report involves a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)50
miscellaneous issues11
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)4

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Lincoln MKC, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 26V011000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V685000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  3. Recall

    Recall 25V572000

    A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 23V378000

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  6. Recall

    Recall 16V183000

    Overheating of the engine block increase the risk of a fire.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 26V011000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  2. Recall

    Recall 25V685000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  3. Recall

    Recall 25V572000

    A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 23V378000

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA21002

    Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture